The official logline provided by A24 says, “Based on a true story, the film follows the rise and fall of the Von Erich family, a dynasty of wrestlers who made a huge impact on the sport from the 1960s to the present day.” This means the film is going to be a comprehensive look at the rise and fall of the dynasty, and that fall is a hard fall. Holt McCallany (“Mindhunter”) is perfectly cast as Fritz Von Erich, with Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich, Harris Dickinson as David Von Erich, Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich, and Stanley Simons as Mike Von Erich. Five of the six Von Erich sons became wrestlers, and all but one of them died under terrible circumstances.
Additionally, Lily James plays Kevin’s wife Pam Adkisson, Maura Tierney plays mama Doris Von Erich, AEW wrestler Maxwell Jacob Friedman plays the faux-cousin Lance Von Erich, Brady Pierce appears as Fabulous Freebirds wrestler Michael Hayes, Aaron Dean Eisenberg shows up as Ric Flair, Kevin Anton plays wrestler Harley Race, Cazzey Louis Cereghino plays wrestler Bruiser Brody, Chavo Guerrero Jr. plays wrestler The Shiek, and Ryan Nemeth appears as wrestler Gino Hernandez. I don’t want to spoil anything more, but if you’re impatient and want to know more about the Von Erichs, the episode of “Dark Side of the Ring” on the family is phenomenal.
“The Iron Claw” arrives in theaters on December 22, 2023. Time for a really sad holiday time!
